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Infineon Charges Up Automotive Designs With New Power Solutions

May 04, 2023 by Aaron Carman

From in-car entertainment to high-powered drivetrains, the latest chips from Infineon offer new and improved power performance for automotive applications.

Adding to its automotive power electronics portfolio, Infineon Technologies has announced the release of two new power solutions for EV and in-cabin electronics. These new solutions, the EZ-PD and HybridPACK Drive G2, offer designers improved electrical performance both inside and outside the cabin of the vehicle. 

 

The Infineon HybridPACK Drive

The Infineon HybridPACK Drive offers higher electrical and thermal performance compared to its predecessor, making it a good candidate for next-gen EV power electronics. Image used courtesy of Infineon Technologies

 

As EV adoption rates continue to accelerate, developers are devoting more attention to the power electronics under the hood to make the most of the available energy. This will help reduce the required charging frequency and extend driving range—two of the biggest hurdles to widespread EV adoption.

This article will examine the reported specs and applications for each new Infineon chip to give readers a sense of where they may be found in new vehicles and how they ultimately benefit the designer.

 

Dual-port Power, Anywhere

With the goal of bringing USB-C PD anywhere in the vehicle, the CCG7D and CCG7S both allow power delivery to be easily integrated into automotive charging applications. The CCG7D can control two ports with a single device, while the CCG7S can control a single USB-C PD port.

 

The CCG7D/S packs numerous controllers in a single device

The CCG7D/S packs numerous controllers in a single device, requiring few external components to realize a USB-C PD source. Image used courtesy of Infineon Technologies

 

Providing up to 100 W per port, the CCG7D/S gives designers flexibility when powering in-car electronics such as chargers or entertainment systems. Built-in support for various fast-charging standards also ensures that the programmed performance is applicable to a wider market. Adding to the versatility of the chip, Infineon has provided key peripherals such as 16-bit timers, ADCs, and GPIO pins that allow the CCG7D/S to interface with a wider variety of systems.

Infineon has provided several example applications for the chips, including rear-seat entertainment (RSE) systems. This application example highlights the versatility of the devices since the USB-C port can be used as a PD source while controlling a DisplayPort multiplexer, allowing for simultaneous charging and streaming.

 

Efficient Electric Drivetrain

Alongside the CCG7D/S, Infineon has also introduced the HybridPACK Drive G2, building on the HybridPACK Drive product line. The G2 is said to offer a performance increase over the previous generation of the HybridPACK line in the same footprint while improving the ease of use through increased integration options.

 

The HybridPACK product line

The HybridPACK product line provides high performance using the latest power electronics materials. Image used courtesy of Infineon Technologies

 

Similar to the G1, the G2 will likely include a variety of voltage and current options, all using the same package, allowing for a single design to be used for a wider variety of performance levels. It is reported that the G2 will sport a power range of up to 300 kW for the 750 V and 1200 V classes—a 20% performance increase over the previous generation.

The HybridPACK Drive G2 will be available in May 2023, with development and evaluation kits being released around the same time. Much like the previous generation, the G2 will be available in both EDT3 Si IGBT and CoolSiC variations, allowing designers to choose the material that is best suited to their specific goals.

 

Completing the EV Model

The performance increases provided by the latest Infineon chips are certainly welcome, and designers will likely reap the benefits of improved connectivity and ease of use. They are, however, only one piece of the EV puzzle. Alongside high-performing electronics, high-capacity and lightweight batteries are required to make electric vehicles a widespread reality.

Regardless, the performance boosts reported in the latest Infineon offerings are a good sign for automotive developers, with improved robustness and device lifetime under the hood and faster charging and connectivity in the cabin. Designers may, for instance, leverage the improved power solutions by creating modular vehicles where components such as infotainment systems can be hot-swapped with ease.